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Van Huizen pushing hard for LionsXII first team spot

LionsXII winger Christopher van Huizen has revealed that he has been hard at work honing the weaker aspects of his game so as to achieve his target of gaining more playing time in the upcoming Malaysia Cup.

The steep learning curve toughened Van Huizen up as he broke into the first team towards the end of the season, starting the last two matches against Sarawak FA and Sime Darby after just six appearances as a substitute in the league.

“Sometimes you won’t know what’s going on in the coach’s mind,” he said.

“But all I know is that I have to do my part in training and push myself to a higher level.

“Coach Fandi (Ahmad) has been telling me that my off-the-ball positioning and defending are my weaknesses, so that’s the kind of stuff which I’ve been working hard to improve on.”

An avid skateboarder, the winger keeps himself active on off days by taking to his wheels. He believes there are specific skill sets from the sport which he can utilise on the football field.

“I think bailing is something which can be very useful,” shared Van Huizen, who has one goal and four assists to his name this season.

“It’s something like falling off the board safely, it happens when you try a move but fail to do it. Or it can be grinding down the handrail and getting sacked.

“To me, it’s similar to how you get tackled by a defender. It’s this kind of stuff which teaches me – if skateboarders can do it, why not footballers?”

Moving back onto more serious matters, Van Huizen is hoping to retain his starting spot as the LionsXII embark on their Malaysia Cup campaign this Saturday at home against Premier League champions Kedah FA.